Nursing strike or self weaning?

I posted this under the toddler 12 month pls section but didnt get a reply as yet...so reposting here as really could do some

my LO...16.5 months stopped nursing in the last 24 hrs...and am wondering if this could be it or a temporary strike.

last night he was nursing as usual to sleep, when he took a pretty hard bite at my nipple. I reacted pretty strongly and shouted.. In the past when he has nipped he nipple I reacted calmly, firmly but gently , but I was so suprised last night my reaction was spontaneous. i then left the room and let him cry for 1 or 2 minutes...dont think he has ever cried more than 15 seconds before...Then he went to nurse again though he bit hard again on my nipple...At this point I called for Dads help to try and get him to sleep. After an hour or two he fell asleep without nursing.

We co sleep and I recall some minor nursing during the night, but today he has refused to nurse, and tonight when I asked if he wanted mummy's milk he said no no no no...i tried to cuddle and he wriggled out of my arms too...I offered mummy's pumped milk in a cup and he refused too. He went to sleep after an hour of book reading and another hour of thumb sucking .

I think his molars coming through are really giving him pain and wonder if this could be provoking a strike...or I wonder if I really frightened him with my unusual reaction to biting. I feel gutted all of a sudden and got very teary this evening about the idea of a sudden negative halt to what has been a lovely, close nursing relationship with my LO. On the other flip side i ask myself if this could be a good time to follow his lead and wean...?

I had thought to end nursing fully my side when he was close to 2 years as i will be going back to work when he hits 20 months. Up until yesterday we have been nursing 4-6 times a day, 2-3 times a night. We practice the baby led introduction to solids and think .. though this is a guess... LO's diet is 50 % solid and 50% milk on a good day.

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

Your lo might be coming down with something that makes drinking uncomfortable.
i would keep offering to nurse and if my LO refused I would continue to offer other nutritious drinks.
this seems rather abrupt for a weaning, but every child is different. so this might be the real thing.

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

I would keep offering. Maybe dream nursing (when he's asleep, offer, he'll quietly latch on). I personally wouldn't take this as my time to wean, but everyone is different. I would rather keep trying so that the last time you nursed wasn't with you yelping. (hugs)

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

Thanks both...We had a tough night last night with wakings every hour or so with my son approaching me to nursenthen saying no no...then early hours he nursed..very carefully for a couple of mins. All day he hasnt asked to nurse but took pumped milk in a cup and went to sleep with a struggle this evening.

I am pleased that the potential last time wasnt wuth me "yelping" but a quiet feed this morning..lets see how evolves...I am pumping to keep up my supply...but I think I may just not offer and follow babys lead though ...if he wants to wean himself I guess thats fair...and will be less traumatic than me taking the weaning lead 4 months down the road.

Any other thoughts welcome and I wonder if anyone out there has experienced a strike due to teething and if so how long it lasted?

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

Thanks amysmom.

Well we have gone another 24 hrs with just one short nurse early hours and LO has gone off to sleep...after a long while gain without nursing....

What is weird is that this afternoon he asked for mummys milk in the usual way, tapping at my breast and doing his yum yum yum signal...:-) ...to double check i offered my milk in a cup and water and he shock his head and tapped again at my breast... So i offered to nurse and he then pretended to bite my nipple looking at me and stopped and pulled away. The same thing happened ths evening while he was thumb sucking himself to sleep or the 3rd night in history..he rolled over asked for milk, then acted like he was going to..but didnt.. nip my nipple, then rolled away again.

I dont get it ....and wonder so hard what could be going through his little mind.

I am pumping 3 times a day, morning , midday -siesta time - and night ( now ) to keep up my supply and have LO has taken my milk in a cup.

2 questions....

Am i pumping milk enough to keep up my supply if this is just a temporary strike?

Has anyone else experienced their baby biting/pretending to bite ..then refusing to nurse ...if so what happened?

Boy this is harder for me than I ever expected though have to say my on seems to be doing fine!

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

At his age, he realizes that he bit you and he hurt you. So part of it is that he wants to nurse, part of it is that he doesn't want to hurt you, part of it is the entertainment of "can I make her jump again?" Just take your time. If he was only nursing once or twice before, I think 3 times a day is okay now.

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

Thanks...before he was nursing 4-6 times a day and 2-3 times during the night. Think I may need to pump a bit more as feeling very engorged. Ths past night Lo didnt feed at all but but did again go fir the breast and pull away twice early morning after putting his front teeth around the nipple.

Will take my time as you say...feeling now like a bad mummy as to pump on waking I had to stick him in front of TV!...

Re: Nursing strike or self weaning?

Well just felt like needed to update on my new reality as mum of my little one. We have now gone 11 days without BF. I have offered the breast every day since LO starte rejefting t and every time I get a no no.

I have been puming 3 times a day trying to keep supply up and he has been taking breast milk in a cup however my supply is now dwindling...gone from pumping 500 ml plus last week to 200 ml today...

Am getting used to the idea of this being it but sad as wanted to continue for now on my side..

On positive side for those mums like me who might have worried about nursing their babies to sleep creating an unbreakable habit...my LO now sucks his thumb to sleep, and drops off way quicker than when he BF...he also has slept gradually more through the night in last 2 weeks. last night he slept through from 10pm to 9am....this is the same baby that slept to sleep feeding and woke up every 2 hours and fed just 11 days ago. Unbelievable! Every cloud does have a silver lining though.

The other thing that makes me chuckle to cheer me up is when LO sees me with the breast pump and says....ooooohhhh with an xclamation and laughs himself!

Caroline....working out how to be mum slowly in a new way..while secretely hoping lo comes back to the breast!